The Path Never Taken
by Ghost Captain Barbossa
Summary: The cold always brings about nasty sicknesses, and unlikely occurences. ShikaHina


The Path Never Taken

By: Bill the Cat

A/N: Hey all, I'm back! This idea has been bouncing around in my head as I too have a nasty cold. (sniff) Anyway, enjoy the really cutsie one shot. Oh, and the title is kinda like Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken'. Sounded cool )

The blustery winter season smacked Konoha hard in the face in the month of December, releasing viscous snowstorms and freezing temperatures. Along with temperamental weather came aggravated sinuses, sneezing, coughs, fevers and stuffy noses. Behold the winter cold.

Class was at its closing for the final day of school, a very blustery storm raging outside the warm abode as Iruka-sensei finished up his usual "morals of Christmas are not all just about getting loot from Santa, who is actually a ninja," speech. The population consisting of 27 were either hanging off their seats in anticipation or sleeping or just not paying attention.

Unfortunately for the sleepers, there was no rest for the weary.

Another cacophony of noise startled Shikamaru out of his well-timed nap, eliciting yet another frustrated frown and angry mutter. Someone near him kept coughing, preventing him from any shuteye through the unbearable Christmas lecture.

He lifted an agitated face from the crook of his crossed arms and glared about the room for the sound. Whoever it was coming from, he was going to jam a Halls cough drop down their damn throat and make them go home.

He could always sleep at home, but it required too much effort to begin the trek just yet.

He finally located the noise coming from none other than Hyuuga Hinata, her small hand cupped around her open mouth as she coughed yet again. The expression marring her porcelain features was one of pain as her cough was dry, but hollow and deep. He couldn't help the empathetic expression slowly take over his anger as she pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her hand on it.

"Alright class, have a safe break and have fun!" Iruka announced, waving at the class. In 2.6 seconds, half the class was on their feet, racing to the door while hastily shoving limbs through protective clothing and releasing cold air into the warm room.

Eventually, only Hinata and Shikamaru were left, as he didn't care how fast he left and Hinata was too busy coughing to walk straight.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Shikamaru asked before he could stop himself. He hated all the noise she was making, but hated the cold that was hurting her even more. Her silver eyes widened momentarily after being spoken to.

"Y-y-es, I am fine," She managed to utter out before yet another fit of coughing erupted from her aching throat. Her voice was all but gone, pulling a frown from the boy even more considering it was hard enough to get her to talk, now she couldn't at all.

"Let me escort you home. You aren't well," He offered, swinging his jacket off his chair and pulling his limbs through it. She all but dropped her one textbook at this statement, having never received concern yet alone conversation from the shadow boy before. She opened her mouth to respond, but yet again another wave crashed into her already raw throat making her bend over as the coughing shook her whole body. Shikamaru quickly raced over and laid a hand on her back in an attempt to support her somehow.

"Come on, you'll be too sick to get home by yourself," He reprimanded, wondering why in the world he was trying to hard to voluntarily go through a troublesome ideal as escorting a girl home. A girl and him. It was nuts.

She managed a nod and shuddered painfully trying to bite back yet another round of coughing.

As the two descended the stairs, Shikamaru fished out a cough drop, one of his last ones and handed it to her.

"It's not the ritzy flavored kind, but it will help," He offered, suddenly feeling shy for proposing this whole thing at all. Hinata glanced over from her hunched position and barely looked him in the eye before turning away. She held a shaky hand out to receive the item and began unwrapping it. Shikamaru in turn zipped up his jacket and opened the door.

The whole town was covered in snow, which was still falling as the two gazed out in wonder. Hinata's estate was a good block from the academy, providing yet another mark on the troublesome category. He shook his head as the girl took the throat lozenge and wondered why in the world he had even bothered coming to school today.

The two stepped into the blustery winds and recoiled at the sudden blistering temperature compared to the classroom. Hinata yelped in surprise, hugging herself instantly as Shikamaru merely grunted, used to the temperature as his mom always complained it was sweltering hot in the house, keeping the thermostat at frozen family. Hinata stopped for a second, trying to suppress another threat of coughing.

Quietly, the two began the treacherous trek towards the Hyuuga estate, slowly freezing in the blustery winds. A good ten minutes went by of the Hyuuga girl stopping to cough immensely, while the shadow nin would have to back track to make sure she was okay. It was troublesome to say the least.

"S-Shikamaru-san, I-I'm t-t-too cold t-to m-move," She managed to utter, another shudder jolting through her body as she kept her teeth clamped from the coughing. He turned his head and sighed, a large puff of white following the frozen breath as he backtracked through the snow to her. He couldn't believe he was offering her this, but he crouched down in front of her, his back facing her.

"Come on, I'll give you a piggy back,"

Hinata's eyes widened dramatically at the proposal as she glanced down at his waiting back. She didn't want to seem rude and decline the offer, so she delicately wrapped her arms around his neck as he hooked his arms around her legs. It hardly took any effort to lift the girl up he noticed as she shakily clasped her hands together.

Finally, the trek began again as the two unknowingly blushed from each other's presence. Shikamaru still didn't know what possessed him to go through so much trouble for a girl he never talked to, a Hyuuga even. Not that he detested them; they were just a race begging for a good slap to the ego.

"T-t-thank y-you.." Hinata quietly whispered into Shikamaru's ear, the Nin being startled at the sudden warm air puffed into the frozen article. His blush intensified.

"No problem," He replied, his face burning even in the freezing atmosphere.

The snow was beginning to pile higher and higher with each passing foot hole it seemed making it difficult to pace through it. A few minutes later, they passed the Nara abode and Shikamaru did yet another incredible thing.

"Why don't you stay at my house till the storm passes?"

Hinata nearly choked on her own breath at the proposition, wondering if perhaps the shadow boy was getting delirious from the cold.

"Hey, I'm not crazy. This snow is too troublesome to keep plowing through with you on my back," He snapped, knowing exactly what was going through the girl's head. She quickly shut her gaping mouth and offered a small smile.

"Right, sorry," That sounded more like him.

The two turned heavily towards the doorway a few feet away and Shikamaru lightly dropped his baggage, straightening his back. The hunched position was going to cause troublesome problems the next day.

As the two neared the doorway, Shikamaru produced a small silver key from his pocket and opened the door with a push.

He peered inside the room of his home and took note that his father was away on a mission. His mother was nowhere in sight, probably off at his grandma's house baking cookies or doing other stuff that moms do.

He motioned for her to follow him inside. She stepped uncertainly through the doorway, her fingers managing to make contact several times as the cough stopped for a few minutes.

Closing the door behind her, Hinata glanced quickly around for the Nara.

He was in the kitchen she deduced that he was in the kitchen judging by the fact that the light was on.

Timidly, she retraced the Nara's footsteps with uncertainty, biting back a sudden cough and found that she could.

It seemed the warmer interior relaxed her throat quite a bit.

"I'll make you some tea, that should calm the coughing down," Shikamaru's voice wafted through the cold air from the kitchen. Hinata acknowledged the hidden request with a slight nod and sat rather awkwardly on his couch. She coughed heavily into her hands for a few seconds, feeling her throat constrict each time.

Minutes later, Shikamaru reappeared with a candle and her tea.

She looked at him uncertainly as the small flame flickered light across his concerned face.

"Power went out,"

She nodded, accepting the cup. It was green tea, warm and soothing spilling quickly down her raw throat. It stopped the coughs for a while.

Once she drank it all she handed the cup back to Shikamaru who offered her more. She accepted.

Finally done with his good deed, the shadow nin poured himself a cup and sat languidly on his couch, legs propped up on the table and one arm dangling over the arm rest.

Silence permeated the room.

"T-thank you very m-much, Shikamaru-san,"

She hadn't properly thanked him yet, she noticed as she found her face burning from the dark. Shikamaru had placed the one candle on the table in front of them, only his feet illuminated by the soft orange glow.

"Tch, s'no biggie,"

"But it is, you have been taking such good care of me. I really am grateful," She insisted, hanging her head down, feeling the tickle returning in her throat. She took another swig.

"Really Hinata, it's okay. I don't mind," And the scary thing was, he didn't mind. Taking care of her felt natural.

Maybe it was just his inner male instincts and all that. But still…

"Is this enough light?"

The question startled her. She was rather frightened of the dark, though she wouldn't admit it and the flickering shadows were a bit intimidating.

But she didn't feel like making him do more work for her. Or looking like a wimp either.

"N-no, this is fine…"

Silence ensued again, but it wasn't awkward. It was almost companionable.

They didn't really know each other, maybe catching the other's attention when they had to be in a group during class, but that was probably it. They were like the kid whose face you always knew but the name eluded you.

Shikamaru felt himself completely relaxed around her. The soft intakes of breath she made, the light sipping noises every once in a while.

She hadn't coughed for a good ten minutes.

"That tea seems to be helping,"

A slight nod.

"Are you cold by any chance?" He could see her shivering in his peripheral vision.

The power was out; meaning the ac wasn't working, and he didn't exactly have a fireplace. Who knew when the storm was going to be over?

She tried her best to feign indifference, but shaking of her hands was a tell tale sign of a fib.

"Y-y-yes…" Even with the jacket on, the cold seeped into her clothes and skin, erupting in shivers. Nodding, the Nara placed his cup down on the table and stood up.

He retrieved another candle, lit it and began walking into the hallway.

She could hear a door slide open and then close as Shikamaru acquired an unknown object. Finally, he returned. He handed her a blanket.

She nodded her thanks.

After a while, with the blanket wrapped securely around her, Hinata noticed Shikamaru's lack of warmth. He seemed to have given her the biggest warmest blanket they owned.

"Sh-shikamaru-san, aren't you cold?" She asked, sure that the cold must be bothering him too. Even insulated, the house was freezing.

He too couldn't hide his shaking, after a while he couldn't even hold his tea anymore. He thought he would be used to it due to his crazy mother.

"Yeah, but it's o-okay. Y-you just k-keep the blanket," He couldn't believe he was stuttering. Sure, he was cold, but still!

Silence replied to him. Figuring she was probably falling asleep, he decided to turn to daydreaming before a warm soft blanket lifted around his shoulders.

Startled, he looked quickly over at Hinata, the dancing firelight illuminating her irises like silver fire, the silver mixing strangely with orange. She wrapped half of the blanket around him, having to move closer so they both would fit.

"There, now we both can be warm," She commented lightly, hugging her end around her body. Steadily, Shikamaru found himself being warmer. Albeit around his face.

'I can't be blushing, no way,' and yet the warmth was intense, specifically due to the fact that the Hyuuga heiress was only a few inches away from him.

"You know, body heat is the better idea in freezing temperature," The words tumbled out before he could stop them. He wasn't about to freeze to death and he sure as hell wouldn't let her. She started, her eyes growing wide.

She gazed at his profile, tucked securely beneath the warm blanket. Was it just the light or was he blushing?

Her face too going red, she merely lowered her head in response.

He decided to take the initiative and scooted closer to her, this time their bodies touching. It was just their arms, but still!

The blanket wrapped securely around them, the warm tea flooded through their bodies and the light from the candles dancing lazily in the room seemed to calm the two down.

They almost forgot that they hardly knew each other, or that they weren't even specifically friends.

They almost forgot that she was a Hyuuga and he a Nara.

They did however, forget all the personal space laws when drifting off to sleep. Shikamaru found he wrapped his arms around the smaller girl, pulling her warmly into his chest. She unconsciously found herself snuggling into his warmth, hugging him back.

Blanket fully securing the two, warmly sandwiched in each other's embraces, the Nara and the Hyuuga forgot that they were two people and became one.

A/N: Hmm, cute neh? I wanna say that Blue Quartz Foxy is my inspiration and I hope someday to be able to write like her. (heart) You are a fantastic writer Foxy! Anywhose, please tell me what you think!

Love, Billie


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